The Charlotte Hornets Will Be Here Soon, But How Can Michael Jordan Improve The Struggling Brand?

Michael Jordan recently announced the Charlotte Bobcats were returning to their roots and will be called the Hornets starting in the 2013-14 season (MCT via Getty Images)

Michael Jordan recently announced the Charlotte Bobcats were returning to their roots and will be called the Hornets starting in 2014 (MCT via Getty Images)

With a 21-61 regular season record, the Charlotte Bobcats finished 29th in the final NBA Standings. It’s a substantial improvement from only winning seven games and finishing dead-last the season before, but it’s still a poor record for a team that has only had one playoff appearance in franchise history.

The losing record has contributed to some of the worst attendance numbers year after year and has dropped the team out of league relevance, even with an NBA legend and international celebrity at the helm.

Michael Jordan is the biggest asset the Charlotte Bobcats have right now, but is he using his brand to the team’s advantage? Jordan obviously knows a thing or two about how to build a brand, and even an empire. He has taken a huge step in the right direction by bringing the Charlotte Hornets name back to the city, but there’s still a long road ahead. Renaming the team the “Hornets” eliminates a lot of the negativity surrounding the Bobcats’ franchise, but there’s still a lot of work to do before Charlotte will start getting excited about their basketball team.

Even though the Bobcats’ season is over, there’s a huge event coming up in June— the NBA Draft. With the fourth overall pick and big names like Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo, Charlotte has an opportunity to generate some buzz in the days leading up to the draft.

However, something is missing. Michael Jordan may be a huge celebrity, but he’s not generating any hype for the Bobcats because he’s not on Twitter.

Jordan has always been a name tossed around with great athletes or coaches who the fans would love to see on Twitter. Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer were also on that list, until this year when they all joined. Those three have a combined following of over 3 million, a number that Jordan would most likely surpass in his first year as a user.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) has been on twitter since 2009 and knows a thing or two about being near the bottom of the NBA standings. But Gilbert and the Cavs are regularly in the news. He comments on games, interacts with fans, and generates interest for the in the Ohio community. Even with a losing record in 2011, the Cavs drew the third highest attendance in the league.

CavsFans,you came out on a Friday night&showed your loyal support.Words do not describe how bad we failed tonight.We must & will do better.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (@mcuban) is always finding new ways to create excitement. Cuban wouldn’t miss twitter’s opportunity to generate interest in his team. And after the Mav’s off-season, he sent out a tweet already motivating the fans for next season.

By staying off twitter and remaining socially silent, Michael Jordan is missing a desperately needed opportunity. The Bobcats brand is fading away, but the Hornets brand needs a boost before it could follow suit. The team’s official twitter account has just over 129,000 followers, the lowest total in the NBA. With the NBA Draft coming up, Jordan has the chance to turn over a new leaf, snag a high-profile draft pick, and put the Hornets brand on the map.